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Chimney and fireplace guides

Short, plain answers for homeowners. Each guide starts with the answer, then the detail.

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Warning signs and problems

Reading the cracks in a chimney crown The difference between a surface craze, a crack through the slab and a crown that was not built as one, and what each lets in.
$Fresh light gray refractory mortar joints stand out between soot-darkened firebricks in a repaired firebox.$ Reading the cracks in a firebox, from hairlines to missing brick What each kind of crack means, and which ones rule out the next fire.
What a cracked flue tile puts at risk A cracked clay tile can draw smoke perfectly well while it passes heat toward the framing. What cracks tiles, what gets through, and the three ways back to a sound flue.
$New tan refractory panels are fitted inside a factory-built fireplace while the old cracked ones lie on the hearth.$ Which refractory panel cracks the manual tolerates, and which it does not Hairline, open, broken or crumbling: reading the panels inside a factory-built firebox.
Checks, in order, for an electric fireplace that glows but will not heat From the outlet to the thermal cutoff, and the signs that mean stop.
When the fireplace damper sticks, will not close or leaks air A safe way to check a throat damper, and what each finding means.
Where chimney and fireplace odors come from The smell is air from the chimney arriving in the room. Find what that air passed over, and you have the fix.
Why smoke spills out of the fireplace Smoke in the room is a draft problem. The causes run from a half-open damper to a house that pulls air down the flue, and two of them you can test yourself.
What a blue, yellow, lazy or sooty gas fireplace flame is telling you The flames built into the design, and the ones that call for service.
Why the pilot goes out, and what you can safely check The thermocouple, the flame that heats it, and the drafts and vents that interfere.
When the gas fireplace does not respond to its remote Separate the handset, receiver and appliance before assuming you need a new remote.
When the gas fireplace will not turn on Safe checks in the right order, and the point where a homeowner stops.
How to tell if a chimney is leaning, and why it moves A chimney that leans is moving, and the flue inside it moves too. The signs from the yard and the room, the causes, and what an evaluation records.
Where a rust streak on a chimney starts A rust streak starts just under a part that is corroding. Tracing it up, and choosing a replacement metal that suits the exposure.
How to tell a chimney is due for sweeping, from the firebox up The flue shows its buildup in a few places you can check yourself, with the fire out and the ash cold.
Chimney warning signs you can check from the yard, the attic and the hearth Start in the yard, finish at the hearth. Each sign points to a part, and a few of them take the fireplace out of use.
Why chimney brick spalls, and how bad it is Brick can spall with no frost at all: water, salts, hard mortar, coatings and flue heat do the work. Judging the damage, and the order that fixes it.
What goes wrong in a chimney nobody uses Stopping fires does not stop the weather, the air or the animals. Ways to close an idle chimney off without trapping moisture inside.
Why rainwater ends up in the firebox Water reaches the firebox by a handful of routes, and the timing of the drip tells them apart.
What white stains on chimney brick are telling you The white powder is salt carried out by water. Telling it from other white marks, and finding the water.
Why does my chimney leak? Follow the water back to where it got in Six entry points from the flue top down, and the clues that separate a chimney problem from a roof problem.

Costs and estimates

Fire and gas safety

Care and maintenance

Choosing a repair or upgrade

How chimneys and fireplaces work

Storms, rain and salt air

Building codes and permits

Buying or selling a home

From the blog

September 25, 2026 Fireplace ashes, from the firebox to the curb Ash hides live coals for days. How to cool it, where to keep the can, what not to put it in, and what the ashes say about your fires.

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